Mike Gorman On Potential Celtics Drafting Strategies

http://boston.cbslocal.com/2014/05/08/mike-gorman-on-potential-celtics-draft-strategies/



Mike Gorman On Potential Celtics’ Draft Strategies
Toucher and Rich
May 8, 2014 9:35 AM



BOSTON (CBS) — We’re still a couple weeks from a bunch of ping pong balls deciding the Celtics’ lottery fate, but it’s still fun to speculate what Danny Ainge will do until we know for sure where the Celtics will pick in June’s NBA Draft.

Boston finished the season 25-57 but lost a tie-breaking coin toss with Utah and owns the fifth-best chance at receiving the top pick in June’s draft.

They have a 30 percent chance to land a Top 3 pick, but are more likely looking at the sixth (34.2 percent) or fifth (23.7 percent) pick.

Mike Gorman, the CSNNE play-by-play voice of the Celtics, joined 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Toucher and Rich on Thursday morning, and shed a little light into what Ainge and Co. are thinking leading up to their selection.

“Everything hinges on where the lottery pick lines up. There are lots of plans depending on where they end up in the draft,” said Gorman. “The one thing you have to keep in mind is Danny will have a board in front of him with the best players. He will have them rated one through whatever, and as they get drafted he’ll cross them off. When his pick comes up he’s going to take the highest-rated player.

“If that means it’s Julius Randle and they get another power forward, he’s going to take him,” said Gorman. “What he does with him or others after is different, but where these balls bounce is really important.

“If they get down into the Top 3 that changes everything. They definitely draft and probably look to trade their later round pick,” Gorman said (Boston also owns the 17th overall pick via the Brooklyn Nets). “I think they have all these strategies worked out… but until we know where they’re picking it’s all conjecture.”

Gorman also touched on the struggles of the Indiana Pacers, Miami’s quest for another title, and Brian Scalabrine’s future with the Golden State Warriors:


bob
MY NOTE:  I'm hardly surprised that Danny is going to be organized about this and have a list etc. blah, blah, blah.  What Gorman is saying, though, is that Danny will go for the BPA (Best Player Available) and not draft for need.  Drafting BPA fits Trader Danny's mentality but it might make for an unbalanced roster again next year, at least until the trade deadline.

I still do not understand how you can end up with the fifth worst record but be more likely to pick sixth or seventh than fifth.

To hear the interview, and hear what Gorman has to say about the Pacers and Scal, go to the link at the top and listen.


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Maybe Mike's right, although I'm not sure I buy it. Perhaps Danny will just be trying to augment his asset kingdom by getting the best player he can get, with his real sights on getting the players he needs by trading those assets.

I think the only two positions you draft based on need are center and point guard. They need the former more than the latter, but Embiid is unlikely to be available to them. If he is, hallelujah for the Celtics, I guess.

However, even if Danny were to draft Embiid, I believe it would be largely because of the great trading chip Embiid represents. If Danny's content to wait for the kid to become a pro (while making Embiid get an xray per day for the rest of his life), so be it. But I believe Danny knows that he can get more a proven commodity at the center position by trading for it or (if necessary) getting one in free agency and hoping he doesn't break down physically in week one with the Celtics.

Sam